Consume Responsibly

The simple act of sourcing or purchasing a product with the PEFC labels can have far-reaching positive implications, not least in terms of sustainable consumption.

If you are interested in making the right ethical choice when purchasing wood or wood-based products such as paper, furniture or building materials, you should always choose PEFC-certified products to promote the sustainable management of our forests globally.

Moreover, you might want to consider substituting other materials such as plastics, steel, aluminum or cement with wood, as wood offers unmatched environmental benefits that contribute to a sustainable lifestyle.

Wood: The Sustainable Choice

Forests and forest-based products have a number of features and characteristics which make them ideal products for sustainable consumption.

Climate-mitigating properties

Forests play a key role regulating the volume of climate changing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. They capture carbon dioxide and store it in wood, soil and biomass.

Forest products, including wood, timber and paper can store carbon dioxide for several decades. (Carbon dioxide is only released when wood burns or decomposes.)

Substitution opportunities

Wood is durable and strong. This makes it a good choice as a building material.

Studies have also demonstrated that over their lifetime, wood products are associated with far lower greenhouse gas emissions than building materials including steel, concrete and aluminum.

Energy-efficient

Wood and wood products require relatively less energy to extract and harvest than other resources.

Similarly, burning biomass in the place of traditional fossil fuels releases comparatively less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, while wood and cellulose yield high energy efficiency.

Source of income, livelihoods and poverty alleviation

Forestry represents 3% of the world’s gross economic output. Forests are a source of livelihoods and income for communities throughout the world, particularly in developing countries.

Life-cycle assessments show that wood is a good choice

Unlike other resources whose supply is finite or whose life-cycle is measured in tens of thousands or in millions of years, forests are a renewable resource with a relatively short growth cycle. As such, they have the potential to continue yielding their products and services indefinitely.

No waste by-product

The use of wood and forest-based products has the potential to generate no waste. It is possible to use the entire resource.

Once the timber has been harvested, wood residues and biomass can be burned for energy, wood chips can be used for compost and spreading on fields, while leaves and pine needles can be composted and used for agricultural and cultivation purposes.

Tropical Timber

Tropical forests constitute the principal reserve of species and biodiversity worldwide. They are also a source of livelihoods for large numbers of people. Yet, they are among the most threatened ecosystems. Threats to tropical and sub-tropical forests include population growth, poverty and institutional failings, all of which can result in illegal logging, one of the most severe threats to these ecosystems.

Sustainable management and consumption of tropical forests and timber can actually contribute to their conservation. This in turn can contribute to the protection and survival of the communities, wildlife and biodiversity that depend upon them.

One of the most effective ways to protect a resource is by creating incentives for its conservation. In the case of tropical timber, this can be achieved by placing an economic value on the timber and trading it in the market place. The value must be realistic and it must but also reflect market values applied in industrialized nations, the source of greatest demand for tropical timber and products. Returns to the local communities responsible for harvesting the wood must also be equitable. Certification adds value to the wood being traded.

Using tropical timber to generate incomes and livelihoods provides important incentives to ensure that the resource is conserved so that it can continue to yield its full range of benefits over the long term. Equally, creating an economic market value for the resource contributes in no small measure to combating illegal logging.

Environmental Benefits

Social Benefits

Economic Benefits

Maintains or enhances natural resources and curtails their depletion

Conserves ecosystems and landscapes and related biodiversity

Reduces energy usage and waste

Eases air and water pollution caused by toxic emissions

Protects the natural functions of the environment and allows the environment to keep delivering its essential range of good and services

Protects sources of livelihoods and contributes to poverty-alleviation

Enhances protection of rights of indigenous populations and poor communities, especially those with poorly-defined land tenure rights

Encourages local employment

Ensures compliance with legal frameworks and leads to greater protection and enforcement of labour laws and conditions